


Childhood Drabbles and Stuff

by Vexicle



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-05-07 10:06:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 4,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14668791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vexicle/pseuds/Vexicle





	1. Eyes Met

“You have blue eyes!”

Aquilo pauses in his activities, one little hand clenching the page of his book so hard the pages fold over. Annoyed, he lowers the book, only to be greeted by a completely foreign face.

It’s probably a girl. Wild, unruly curls spill over her face, bound together in twin pigtails. Dressed in stupid bright neon coloured clothes, she stands on her tiptoes. Her sharp dark eyes glitter with curiosity, round button nose twitching - is she _sniffing_ him? That’s disgusting.

“Yeah, and your eyes look like shit,” Aquilo snaps, jerking his book back up to shield his eyes from the horrible sight in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he resumes scanning the words on the pages - only to grit his teeth as the girl pokes him with a hand. “ _What_?”

“I’m Cheryl! What are you?”

“Go away!” Aquilo snaps, glaring at the stupid creature who, by the way, is grinning. How stupid is she? Can't she tell how annoyed he is? He’s even spelled it out for her and Cheryl’s still leaning closer.

“What is it?” she asks again, eyes wide with innocence.

“Go away.” Aquilo scoffs and turns his back on her, gripping the book in his hands like a lifeline.

Peace lasts all of five seconds before he hears Cheryl pipe up behind him again: “What’s your favourite color?”

“I don't know! Go away!”

“You have one, right?” Cheryl continues entirely unaffected, and to Aquilo’s horror she’s leaning over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever book he’s reading. “I like pink!

Aquilo stops trying to read and just frowns at Cheryl, hoping she’ll get the message. When she doesn't back off, he realises that the idiot is just smiling patiently at him, hoping, no, waiting for him to reply. Maybe if he fulfills her request she’ll stop bothering him.

“I’m Aquilo.” He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Blue.”

He turns back, then, hoping to resume chapter 4... unsuccessfully. “Yay!” he hears behind him, followed by an endless stream of chatter. Hunching in on himself, Aquilo growls deep in his throat as he hears, “Me too! Blue’s pretty! And I also like black red white and they go together like… nice, like in the art I see and -”

Aquilo can't help thinking that he has just made the worst mistake of his life.


	2. Nicknames

The door creaks open, and bright amber eyes peek in. “Mommy, c-can I change my name when I grow up?” Leigh startles in her seat.

Leigh hurries over, leaving her chair spinning, but stops a short distance away. Her dear son’s bottom lip trembles, and he ducks his head, short red hair ruffling. He looks almost as if he were a threatened kitten, pelt bristling. “I don't like my name,” he says quietly.

“Oh, Ignatius. Or… Christopher?” Leigh inches closer and hold her hands out. Still, the redhead hesitates, looking up at her. Finally, he lets go of the wooden door and trots unsteadily inside. He squeaks when he trips over the cotton rug and falls into his mother’s embrace. “Are you okay?” 

Ignatius responds with a little nod.

“Now, you little whelp,” Leigh says playfully. Ignatius shuts his eyes and lets out small giggles as Leigh messes his hair up, holding him close. “Why don't you like your name?”

“I-is that okay?”

“Why don't you tell me first?” Leigh coaxes him. She sets Ignatius down on her lap after making sure he won't try to squirm away. He wriggles and fidgets a bit, but doesn't make any motion of bolting, so Leigh thinks she's fine for now.

“It's… t-too important,” Ignatius tries to explain. His little face scrunches up in concentration. “I mean when people call me, it's not really me, like! I'm so small. And Christopher's a middle, so it doesn't count.”

Leigh must have done her usual confused frown then, because Ignatius tries to back away and looks like he's about to start crying again. Leigh thinks that he needs to start growing a backbone, but looking at this little boy, she can't find the heart in her to say so.

“Oh no. No no no. It's okay! I just don't understand,” Leigh says hurriedly, trying to calm her son down. She can't stand it when he cries. Every time he does, she feels like she’d start as well. Maybe she's also a little too soft. 

Ignatius sucks in air so he looks like a hamster with his bulging cheeks. “Um… Ignatius and Christopher, they… t-they sound like such big people names!”

“And you’ll be a big person too, won't you?”

Still puffing out his cheeks, Ignatius shakes his head hurriedly. 

“You'll grow up to be big and strong,” Leigh soothes him. “Don't worry. Someday you'll fill out.”

“No!” The redhead shakes his head even more vigorously this time. “I don't like it. I don't like it! Not now!”

Puzzled, she can't help but stare stupidly at her son. _What could have made him so adamant about hating his name so suddenly? Unless…_ A creeping suspicion sweeps over Leigh. “What did Aquilo do?”

It's not quite like a dam bursting - rather, it's more akin to water slowly seeping out of an overstuffed sponge. Ignatius wipes his eyes, sniffing and starting to hiccup. “...said it was ‘pretentious’.”

“What?”

Ignatius clutches at her arm weakly. “I don't know I don't know what he said or why but I looked it up and he was calling me something bad mommy!” Then he stops, panting, finally falling over and whispering, “Pretentious,” as if the very word is a deadly poison.

Looking at her son’s defeat, Leigh doesn't know whether to laugh or to cry. 

Well, perhaps she could have a talk with the younger twin later. For now, though, she cradles him in her arms and reminds herself that Ignatius is still in preschool and probably doesn't have the best priorities set. For all she knows, this simple matter means the world to him. 

“Well then, Iggy, have you considered a nickname?” Leigh asks, trying to hold back her amusement, lest Ignatius sense it and burst into a fresh set of tears.

Ignatius stops sniffling at that, perking up. “Iggy?” he asks eagerly.

“I take it you like it?” Leigh regards her son with affection warming her heart. It's so rare to see him like this, not cowering in some darkened corner of the room. His amber eyes are bright and happy. “You can use it from now on if you do. Aquilo won't complain now, right?”

“Y-yeah!” Iggy does a weird little jiggle that makes Leigh accidentally drop him, but it's alright, as he simply lands on his feet and bounces up and down. “And since you gave it to me, it's very government stuffy! Is it? Aquilo said the word’s ‘legal’. My name’s legal again!”

“No, Iggy,” Leigh says, chuckling. “A nickname can be given by anyone, even your friends. If you like it, that's great. Why don't you go find Aquilo and tell him now?” _Some might not be so nice,_ she adds privately.

“Oh. Can I give Aquilo a nickname too?” Iggy stops his bouncing and looks up at Leigh earnestly. 

She stifles her laughter. “Yes, Iggy, you can.” _If you can get him not to lash out at you every time you use it._

“Whee! Thanks, mommy! I love you lots!” Iggy hugs her arm and trots away, taking care to give the rug a suspicious glance before heading outside. Leigh watches him go, finding herself smiling for no reason at all, really.

_Iggy._ It suits him, in Leigh’s opinion, it really does. It’s short, sweet, and rolls off the tongue. It’s cute, and simple. _Iggy,_ she repeats in her mind. _Iggy, Iggy._ Somehow, it feels natural, despite how she came up with it on the spot. It doesn't take much getting used to at all.

Leigh smiles, and then retreats to her desk, preparing for a long night. 

She’ll see Kyler after his shift ends, tired but loving. 


	3. Nicknames 2.0

“A-Aquilo!” Iggy stumbles into their shared bedroom and shuffles his way slowly over the fluffy mat. Aquilo’s on his large bed, barely taking up a quarter of the space. He’s buried under the blue blankets, face frowned in concentration as he thumbs through yet more pages of text.

“Aquilo!” Iggy calls again at his brother’s side. Something must have sounded different about him today, because Aquilo actually puts his book down unprompted.

Staring at Aquilo, Iggy soon finds himself on the receiving end of the blond’s disdain. “Don't look at me all flabbergasted! What do you want?” Aquilo asks, folding his arms and jutting his bottom lip out.

Iggy squeaks and burrows under the covers, which are soft and fluffy and not at all like his brother. Iggy wishes he had a better brother sometimes. He likes the kids at playschool. They talk to him and are nice and don't do mean things like Aquilo and he’d like to trade his grumpy sibling for one of them instead and OH he’s lifting the blanket, eyebrows twitching and looking rather annoyed.

“Come on, Ignatius! What is it?” 

“I… I…” Iggy creeps further and further back along the bed. The name clicks in his mind, reminding him of what he came here for in the first place. “C-call me… Iggy, p-please.”

Aquilo’s giving him his doubtful look again. Iggy’s learnt to tell all of Aquilo’s different frowns apart. This one luckily doesn't say _I’m going to kick you now,_ but it isn't looking good either.

“...Iggy.”

Iggy nods his head, feeling his red hair bounce, the rise and fall of his chest, suddenly hyperaware of everything going around him.

“Yeah, okay. Bye, Iggy.” Aquilo picks up his book again. Iggy lets out a sigh of relief and relaxes, snuggling into the blue blanket.

_He okayed it! He likes it! Right, right? I didn't even need to talk about mom and -_

The blanket is whipped off Iggy’s head. He gulps and shrinks in upon himself as he’s met with familiar blue eyes. “Please return to your own humble abode,” Aquilo says flatly, and Iggy has just enough time to think that Aquilo’s sentence doesn't really make sense before he finds his brother’s back to him again.

Iggy sits up straight, rubbing his head and looking sadly at the blond. His brother. Without so much as an acknowledgment, Iggy crosses the room to his own bed. Slowly, he crawls into it and rolls over onto his side, hearing the bedframe creak.

_I guess he likes it this way…_


	4. Bookworm

“Quilly! Quilly! Quilly!”

“Shut up,” says Aquilo, bored. “You're dumb,” he adds, flipping a page.

“But I came to visit and everything! Iggy’s sick and you're no fun!” Cherry pouts. “Play with me play with me play with me!” She stands on her tippy toes, raining punches on Aquilo’s back that he simply ignores.

“I'm not your damn babysitter,” he tosses at her.

Cherry pulls back, frowning not in frustration, but in thought. She did always enjoy solving puzzles. “What book are you reading?” she asks, straining to see over the back of his chair.

Surprised, Aquilo glances at her, actually glances at her. Like she's an equal. “I… well, this book. It's about diseases. I got it from my mom.”

“Why are you looking at something so icky?” Cherry stops trying to look over him and steps next to him instead. The book is big, looking awkward sitting in his lap. “Ewww. Ugly. Why would you read this?” 

The curious light in his blue eyes is replaced with a look of annoyance. “I like reading.” Aquilo shrugs and goes back to his book.

Cherry stops and chews on her inner cheeks, glaring at the back of his stupid blond head. She gets the feeling that she had just been dismissed, like she was his servant, like she owed him and his time was worth millions or something.

Oh no, Aquilo Brooks Hall wasn't going to win today.

“What the hell?” Aquilo finds his feet scrabbling for purchase on the floor, an ache in his wrist, his book collapsing to the floor in a loud thud. He struggles to turn around and glare at the culprit. “Hey!”

“You, sir, are going to learn how to untwist your panties!” Cherry whisper-yells as she drags the stubborn boy along.

Aquilo squirms in her surprisingly strong grip. “I'm not a girl! Put me down! Let me go!”

“No can do! Come on, let's go find Iggy and watch movies!”

“...he's in our room.” Aquilo sighs and resigns himself to his fate.


	5. Here, Kitty

“Be careful,” Iggy says quietly, but all words are lost on Aquilo as the blond squeals and hugs the furry lump harder.

“It’s so cute, it's so cute!” Aquilo squeals and buries his face in the fluffy fur. The cat meows, struggling, but soon it gives up and allows Aquilo to squeeze it in his crushing grip. Iggy looks between the fat cat and his way-too-happy brother, wondering if he should stop them. He glances at Cherry, trying to get her to intervene.

Cherry nods and karate chops Aquilo on the back, making him drop the cat. It scurries away, meowing hurriedly.

“The cat shelter said no suffocating!” she declares matter-of-factly, oblivious to Aquilo’s glare. “So you are under arrest!”

“That's not a rule and you know it!”

“It's a rule because I'm oldest and I say so!”

Iggy watches them both nervously, chewing on his little nails, jumping when he feels a cat nuzzling at his bottom. When he turns back, Cherry’s hands are on her hips, and she’s tutting rather loudly. “Really! I didn't expect you to like cats so much! Who does that? You're really weird sometimes!” 

To Iggy’s surprise, Aquilo doesn't respond. He just stares at the black-haired girl, fists clenched. Iggy sags in relief when Cherry wanders away, seemingly bored at Aquilo’s lack of response. Which also worries Iggy.

“Quilly?” he whispers, edging closer to the blond, who’s just staring at his crossed legs now.

“...do you think I’m weird?”

Iggy shakes his head vigorously. Aquilo watches him silently. Where just moments ago he seemed light and carefree, now his blue eyes are clouded.

“You think that because we’re brothers,” he declares, standing up and leaving Iggy staring after him, wondering what he did wrong.


	6. 10 Reasons Why

Aquilo furiously flips open his diary and grabs the boldest, biggest marker he can find. His eyebrows twitch in barely suppressed anger as he scribbles all over the blank pages. (Still between the lines, of course.)

**TEN reasons why I hate Pubegirl:**

**1) She's annoying!**  
**2) She's annoying!**  
**3) She's annoying!**

This goes on for quite some time until Aquilo, finally satisfied, nods and caps his marker. His smile vanishes from his face when he realises the black ink has bled, making his older entries all dark and dirty.

Aquilo scowls and shuts the glittery plastic-bound book, kicking it back into his secret compartment.

_This is all her fault!_


	7. Eyes Met

“Eeeeee!” Is the high pitched scream that reverberates throughout the apartment.

Leigh tenses, her eyes going wide before racing towards the source of the sound. The book drops to her feet, forgotten. _The kids!_ Her heart pounds in fear as she enters the bedroom, expecting the worst.

She's greeted by her younger son attempting to strangle the living daylights out of his twin. The black-haired girl stands off to the side, mouth open in astonishment, eyes flicking from side to side, as if dumbstruck.

“ _Aquilo_!” Leigh snaps, dashing forward. The little blond instantly lets go, his blue eyes wide. A flicker of fear appears in them, and he backs off, his body still trembling.

Iggy points at Aquilo from his safe hiding spot behind his mother’s back. “He… he!” he squeaks. “He was talking about… penis!”

Alarmed, Leigh aims her gaze towards the blond, watching him shrink away. _How does he even know that word?_ Leigh certainly didn't when she was his age! 

“No, wait, wait,” Cherry protests, and Leigh feels herself light up with a glimmer of hope - that shatters in the next second she announces proudly, “He said he's getting bigger! So his everything is bigger! Soon I can ask about babies!”

_What?_ Incredulous, Leigh stares at Aquilo, who flinches as he meets her hard gaze. _What has he been talking about? What are these kids learning at school?!_

“N-no.” Aquilo shakes his head vigorously, his little hands clenched into fists, and Leigh’s heart melts. How could she stay mad at him when he looks so miserable?

“Go and play,” she instructs them, pointing outside. Shuffling away, Iggy obeys, with a bouncing Cherry in tow. Leigh watches the last of the tips of her curly ponytail go before she turns to Aquilo.

“Now, Aquilo, what's this all about?”

An excited squeal has Leigh sighing. “Oooooh, someone's gonna get spanked!” Cherry giggles, peeping in from around the corner with a little redhead accompanying her. Leigh catches her son’s eyes and nods. At this unspoken command, Iggy tries to persuade Cherry.

“It's n-not nice...”

“I don't care! It's funny! I wanna watch!”

Iggy nervously fidgets and glances from his mother to his playmate. “C-Cherry, I wanna… wanna play out there,” he says feebly, shaking her hand. Luckily, she finally seems to oblige.

“Awwwww, you're a boring boring boing!” Cherry pouts but follows anyway.

“The mat over there, it's… sunny… nice…”

As their voices quieten, Leigh sneakily closes the door, then locks it to make sure. “Aquilo?” she asks as gently as possible. It's not really his fault her patience has been tried so many times today. She wishes Max would come home soon.

His back is against the wall, hugging his knees to his chest. “They're laughing already,” he mutters sourly.

Leigh descends to her child’s eye level, holding out both hands. Aquilo takes the invitation, sinking gratefully into his mother’s embrace. “I told them I was getting bigger,” Aquilo says, pink splotches blooming over his cheeks. “I just didn't think they'd mistake it for such…” He visibly struggles for the word. “Grievous disasters!”

Leigh resists her urge to laugh and simply nods. “What did you mean, then?”

“I… I…” Aquilo stammers, clutching at his mother. “I'm bigger now. In size. I don't like it,” he says, wrinkling his nose and frowning. “I'm a giant!”

Only now does Leigh realise that he's correct. She hadn't noticed it. Time had slipped away from her again and again, but now that Aquilo’s brought it up she realises that he's growing up _way_ faster than his twin. He's heavy now, and indeed large for his age - he's barely ten and already he's almost at her shoulders’ height. 

_Is this normal? Maybe Aquilo’s an outlier. An early bloomer._ And if Leigh’s correct, his voice is a little deeper now. She winces in sympathy for the horrible cracks she knows will soon follow.

“You're growing up,” she says out loud, trying not to let her son pick up on her worries. “It's normal. It happens to everyone.”

“I'm really tall,” Aquilo insists. “It's too big! I want to go back to last time. I keep knocking everything over! It's absolutely asinine.” He shakes his head, burrowing deeper in Leigh’s warm hug. “Mommy, they'll laugh! I'm growing too much. It's dumb and stupid and dumb!”

“You're worried you're not like the others?” Leigh prompts. She allows her fingers to caress his blond locks, the way he knows he likes. She feels his muscles tense.

“I don't care what those meanies think!” Aquilo snaps.

Leigh lets out her laugh then. It feels like it's been brimming underneath the surface. No matter whether he knows or not, Aquilo is simply precious to her. “If so, then you'll be alright tomorrow, yes?”

Aquilo bristles furiously. “I don't wanna go to school,” he says grumpily.

“Oh, darling.” Leigh presses a kiss to his forehead. She doesn't miss the way he glares at her. So young, yet so fierce. “You need to go, okay?” Leigh soothes him. “It's for your own good.”

“No no no no no.” Aquilo huffs and turns his back on her. “Don't wanna.”

Leigh stifles more laughter and asks, “Do it for me, okay? I love you. I want to see you grow up strong.”

Aquilo doesn't reply, but he's stopped emitting his agitated aura. “Strong? No, but I… I don't know.”

“You'll need to go to school if you want to be good at stuff when you're all grown up.” Leigh dares to creep closer to him. “Everyone has to go through this. They won't laugh, Aquilo. Besides, simple teasing only lasts for a little while. Don't let them know it affects you, and they'll go away.”

_Is that the right thing to say?_ Aquilo’s already so prickly, he doesn't need any more encouragement to start being a bully. However, judging from the way he slowly relaxes, he seems to be taking her words to heart.

“You really think they won't laugh?” His voice is cautious, but hopeful.

“If they do, you have my permission to laugh back at them when they grow up,” Leigh says mischievously. “Be brave, Aquilo. I love you.”

Aquilo pauses, and Leigh takes this chance to sweep him up in her arms. Startled, he yelps and starts squeaking. Leigh holds him still till he stops struggling and simply allows her to cuddle him.

“I… I l-love you too,” Aquilo stammers, his round cheeks flushed with colour, and Leigh can't help but feel as if she's achieved something monumental, pride swelling in her heart.


	8. Gone

Aquilo scrolls through his contact list idly. No one in his class is online, but he knows just who he’s searching for. 

He pauses and his thumb hovers over the name _Cherry_. 

He knows who he's searching for and he _hates_ it.

It’s been a week since she’s moved away, and they don't even go to the same school ever since they graduated from kindergarten, and Aquilo… oddly enough, finds himself missing her.

Cherry, Cherry, Cherry, stupid annoyingly messy fruit girl person. 

But shockingly enough, he misses her voice. 

Iggy’s certainly been getting a lot of texts from her, from the way he smiles and shows Aquilo the various photos he receives from their friend. Their friend. _Their_ friend. Their _friend_.

Was he really Cherry’s friend? She hadn't exactly texted him ever since she sent him a ‘hi :)’ which he had stubbornly left on read.

Aquilo scowls and throws his phone across his bed, where it lands with a soft ‘thump’ on his pillow.

This was ridiculous! He didn't need that girl to function! She was dumb, and stupid, and dumb, and he didn't want her crappy photos anyway!

_Then… what’s this feeling?_

Aquilo feels cold. Aquilo feels empty. There’s no way Cherry can visit him now and it’s all wrong and - suddenly, he finds himself wanting to wish her back. No one at school talks to him the way she does. No one makes Iggy smile the way she does.

Aquilo hugs his knees to his chest as he rocks back and forth like a stupid little kid.

Whatever. Iggy could have her, anyway. 

Aquilo didn't care.


	9. Hisssss

When Iggy said he’d love to see Zephyr’s pets, well...

“This is Juniper! This is Stacy! Ooh, and Kiara’s woken up, too! Hello, big girl. Miss me?”

He had expected something more… furry. He gulps as his eyes are trained upon the massive, black, quivering icky _bug_ in Zephyr’s palm. Then it makes a noise or something, and Iggy squeals and scurries behind the sofa.

“Iggy?” Aquilo calls after him. His hand had reached out to… to _pet_ the creepy thing. Iggy cowers even more. _Why?!_

“W-what kind of b-bug is that?” Iggy asks, trembling. She approaches him again, the huge black-and-red thing still in her hands. It twitches lazily. Iggy stares at it, feeling like he’s about to lose it. _It's disgusting!_ How could this girl ever regard it with any measure of affection?

“It's a hissing cockroach!” Zephyr proclaims proudly.

Iggy really does scream then, which almost makes Zephyr drop the big fat thing. “A _cockroach_?” Iggy yells from behind the sofa. “You have pet _cockroaches?_ And they _hiss_?”

“There's nothing to worry about! It’s sleepy now, you see?” Aquilo pokes the thing. It does little more than breathe.

“Kiara,” Zephyr corrects him.

“B-but… a cockroach! It's so… it's so scary! And it's huge!”

“Don't worry, they aren't mean,” Zephyr says, blinking at Iggy with her innocent eyes. “They aren't your usual cockroaches.”

“Yeah. They're… bigger.” Iggy shudders at the sight, backing away.

“They don't fly either.” Iggy sags a bit in relief. “They're like penguins, but for bugs!” Iggy gives Zephyr his best expression of doubt.

“Really!” she insists. “If you don't wanna hold her, it's okay, but I just wanted to let you know. They're very gentle!”

“What about the other ones?” Aquilo asks, looking curiously at the meshed fish tank. He knocks against the glass with his knuckles and laughs as they start hissing.

“Do stop that!” Zephyr hurries over to where Aquilo is tormenting the poor insects. Iggy stares after her, reluctance holding him back. But Zephyr didn't seem scared, and Aquilo didn't either, so, maybe...

And then Iggy finds himself next to Zephyr, tentatively reaching his index finger for Kiara. He all but pokes the smooth exoskeleton of the bug before the creepy thing does that sound again. He chickens out and scampers a few feet away. He whimpers, taking deep breaths.

He hears footsteps, and to his frazzled mind Iggy almost thinks it's Zephyr’s roaches coming to haunt him for poking their friend. When he looks up, though, it's Zephyr, and thankfully she has put Kiara back into her cage.

“How was it?” Zephyr asks, seemingly wanting to put her hand on Iggy’s shoulder but not doing it. Iggy is thankful.

“It's scary! It hissed! Is it angry?” 

“You'll be fine, Iggy! They're very friendly. Though I think you've achieved quite enough for today.”

“But I ran away,” Iggy mutters, sullen. He suddenly feels very silly. Shame makes his cheeks flush hot.

“You tried something new. I think you should be proud of yourself.”

Iggy gives Zephyr a look the second time that day. “I mean, if you think so,” he says, dropping his gaze.

“Yeah, I do -” Zephyr’s head swivels around as her cockroaches all hiss at once. The noise is cacophonic. “Aquilo!” she yells, cheeks puffed out, standing up and hurrying over. 

Iggy watches her go, smiling to himself.


	10. SFX

“Zephyr, what’s this?” Iggy approaches the strange new object curiously. It looks like… a piano? But strangely small and thin.

Zephyr wanders over at his question, dark eyes almost silver with curiosity before it grows black with… _something_ as she stares at the object. “It’s a keyboard,” she says quietly, ducking her head out of the doorway again. “Hey, Iggy, let’s go play -”

“A… keyboard?” A little smile spreads across Iggy’s face. “I’ve never seen one like this before. Can I touch?”

Zephyr hesitates. Her brows are furrowed and wrinkly, but not in anger, just… disappointment? 

“I can play with you if you want. I-it’s okay,” Iggy hastily adds.

Zephyr blinks at that, and her eyes are back to normal. Wordlessly, she steps over and lifts the cover up. Iggy is in awe at the pristine condition it’s in, the sheen of the white keys and the light reflecting off the black. He presses the middle C, but to his disappointment finds nothing.

“Oh. Oh, right.” Zephyr ducks and switches the plug on. “Try again,” she says, pressing the large blue button in the middle.

To Iggy’s surprise, now it works. The sound isn’t as… full, or vibrant, as the regular piano they have at school. The keys don’t press down as much either. Still, as Iggy taps out the tune to a nursery rhyme, he can’t say he isn’t impressed.

“Go ahead,” Zephyr says. “Sit down.”

“I-I can?”

Zephyr nods, and when Iggy takes her advice, she points towards the various buttons and knobs all lining the hard plastic surrounding the actual keys. “It’s an electric piano,” she says. “I haven’t tested these out, but I think you’ll like them.”

“O-oh?” Suddenly, Iggy feels spoilt for choice, looking at all the various settings and buttons. _Volume control, sound SFX, smart chords, instruments,_ he reads one by one, his curiosity piqued. He messes with a few of the knobs, surprised at the sound of a hard rock guitar reverberating through the room. Hastily, he switches it back, and messes with a few more, only to find, to his delight, that he’s somehow solved the problem of the sounds not being full enough.

He plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star again, and smiles. “It’s beautiful,” Iggy says wistfully. Now, if only there were some way to fix the keys themselves. Iggy stops playing and sweeps his gaze around the whole thing. _Zephyr’s really lucky,_ he thinks.

“...I suppose.”

There’s something about the dullness of Zephyr’s tone that has Iggy leaning back to look at her, concerned. “Why haven’t I heard you play it before?” Iggy asks innocently.

For a moment, a shadow crosses over Zephyr’s eyes. “I don’t like it,” she finally says, turning around, her hair flowing behind her like a whip. Iggy watches, stunned, as she hurries off down the hallway. 

Not knowing what to do, Iggy stares after where his friend left, before he reaches forward for the cover. He hesitates, before pressing the button to power the instrument down.


End file.
